It is nineteen feet long. Seriously. If you park a 1978 Lincoln Town Car in a modern suburban driveway, the nose is going to poke into the sidewalk, and the rear bumper is probably going to be a hazard for your garage door sensors. It’s absurd. It’s excessive. It’s basically a motorized living room upholstered in crushed velvet and optimism.
Most people look at the late seventies and see the "Malaise Era"—a depressing time for cars where engines got weaker and bumpers got uglier. But the '78 Town Car was different. It was the defiant middle finger to the fuel crisis. While Cadillac was busy "downsizing" their fleet and making things smaller, Lincoln looked at the market and decided to go big. Actually, they went huge.
The Continental Philosophy of "Too Much"
In 1978, the Continental Town Car wasn't just a model; it was a statement of status. You have to remember that by this point, the Chevrolet Caprice and the Ford LTD had already shrunk. They were trying to be "sensible." Lincoln didn't do sensible. They kept the 127-inch wheelbase. They kept the massive overhangs.
Driving one today feels like piloting a cloud. There is zero road feel. None. You turn the thin-rimmed steering wheel, and about three seconds later, the front of the car decides to head in that general direction. It’s glorious. You don't drive a 1978 Lincoln Town Car to feel the apex of a corner; you drive it to forget the road exists at all. The "Hydro-Power" braking system and the coil-spring suspension were engineered specifically to delete the sensation of asphalt. Honestly, it’s closer to boating than driving.
The 1978 model year was particularly special because it was the penultimate year for this specific giant. By 1980, the party was over, and the Town Car became a much smaller, boxier thing. But in '78? You still had the hidden headlights. You had the opera windows. You had the "Cartier" clock on the dashboard that ticked away while you burned through a 25-gallon tank of leaded gasoline.
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The Heart of the Beast: 400 vs 460
If you’re looking to buy one of these now, you’re going to run into the engine debate. In '78, Lincoln offered two main V8s. Most of them came with the 400 cubic inch (6.6L) Cleveland-based V8. It wasn't fast. It made maybe 166 horsepower. That sounds pathetic for a car that weighs nearly 5,000 pounds, but the torque was there. It could pull a house off its foundation, provided you didn't mind going 0 to 60 in about 13 seconds.
Then there was the 460 cubic inch (7.5L) V8.
This was the last year for the 460 in a Lincoln car. If you find a '78 with the 460, you've found the holy grail of "peak Lincoln." It felt effortless. It didn't roar; it hummed with a sort of deep, bassy authority. Of course, the trade-off was getting about 8 to 10 miles per gallon. In 1978, with gas prices climbing, that was a bold choice. Today, it’s an expensive hobby, but man, does it feel cool to have that much displacement under a hood that’s roughly the size of a pool table.
Design Details That Feel Like a Fever Dream
- The Grille: It was modeled after Rolls-Royce. Lincoln wasn't even subtle about it. It stood tall, chrome-plated, and intimidating.
- The Seats: They call them "Twin Comfort Lounge Seats." It’s basically two massive sofas. In the '78, you could get them in "Media" velour or optional leather. The velour is actually better—it grips you so you don't slide across the bench when you take a turn at more than 5 mph.
- The Fender Skirts: The rear wheels are almost entirely covered. This creates that long, unbroken horizontal line that makes the car look like it's a hundred feet long.
- Power Everything: Power windows, power locks, power seats, power antenna. Even a power trunk release, which was a big deal back then.
Why the 1978 Lincoln Town Car is Booming Right Now
Collectors are finally waking up to these. For years, the "Lincoln guys" only cared about the 1961-1969 suicide-door Continentals. Those are six-figure cars now. The 1970s cars were ignored. They were seen as "pimp-mobiles" or just old junk.
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But there’s a shift happening. People are tired of modern cars that feel like computers. They want the sensory experience of a 1978 Lincoln Town Car. They want the smell of old leather and the sound of a vacuum-operated headlight door clicking open. On sites like Bring a Trailer or Hagerty, we're seeing clean, low-mileage examples of the '78 Town Car climb from $10,000 to $25,000 or even $30,000 for the rare Williamsburg or Diamond Jubilee editions.
The Diamond Jubilee Edition was actually the most expensive Ford Motor Company product ever offered up to that point. it came in only two colors: Diamond Blue and Jubilee Gold. It had a bucket-seat interior with a padded center console. It even had umbrellas built into the back of the front seats. It was the absolute peak of American luxury before the era of "efficiency" took over.
Common Problems (The Reality Check)
Look, owning one isn't all disco music and smooth cruising. These cars are almost 50 years old. Vacuum leaks are the biggest nightmare. Everything in a 1978 Lincoln Town Car runs on vacuum lines. The hideaway headlights? Vacuum. The climate control? Vacuum. The door locks? Often vacuum. When those rubber lines dry out and crack, your headlights might get "sleepy" (one stays up, one stays down), or your heater might get stuck on full blast.
Rust is the other killer. Check the rear quarter panels and the area under the vinyl top. Water gets trapped under that padded vinyl and rots the roof from the inside out. If you see bubbles under the vinyl, walk away. It’s a massive headache to fix.
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Mechanically, though? They’re tanks. The C6 automatic transmission is one of the toughest gearboxes ever made. The engines are under-stressed. They don't rev high, they don't run hot, and they just keep going. You can still buy most engine parts at a local Napa or AutoZone because these engines were in everything from F-150s to dump trucks.
The Cultural Weight of the 1978 Model
There’s a reason you see this car in movies when they want to signify "The Boss." It has presence. It doesn't ask for attention; it demands it by occupying two zip codes at once. It’s the car of The French Connection (well, the earlier ones) and every 70s detective show where the lead had a bit too much grit.
The '78 Town Car represents the end of an era where American engineering was focused on isolation. The goal wasn't to be "connected" to the world; it was to be insulated from it. You could be in the middle of a noisy, crumbling city, but inside that Lincoln, with the thick shag carpeting and the sound deadening, it was silent. It was your private sanctuary.
Actionable Steps for Potential Buyers
If you’re actually looking to put a 1978 Lincoln Town Car in your garage, don't just jump at the first one you see on Facebook Marketplace.
- Verify the Engine: If the seller says it’s a 460, check the VIN. The fifth character should be an "A" for the 460. If it’s an "S," it’s a 400. The 460 is worth a premium.
- Check the Vinyl Top: Press down on the padded roof. If it crunches, there’s rust underneath.
- Test the Vacuum System: Turn the car on and flip the headlight switch. They should both pop up quickly and simultaneously. If they don't, prepare to spend a weekend chasing rubber hoses.
- Look for "Dry Rot": These cars often sit in garages for decades. The tires might look like they have tread, but they’ll blow apart on the highway if they’re 20 years old. Replace them immediately.
- Focus on the Interior: Mechanical parts are cheap. Trim pieces, specific 78-only dashboard bits, and that "Media" velour fabric are nearly impossible to find in good condition. Buy the best interior you can find; fix the engine later.
The 1978 Lincoln Town Car isn't a smart purchase. It’s a big, thirsty, cumbersome beast. But in a world of soulless electric crossovers that all look like bars of soap, there is something deeply soul-satisfying about a car that has a hood long enough to land a Cessna on. It’s a piece of history you can drive. Just make sure your garage is long enough.